Target



May 5, 193.1.

F. T. RUSSELL TARGET Filed Nov. 15, 1928 Patented May 5, 1931 gr 55-: s

FBEDERICK'T'. RUSSELL, OF U'IICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS.

TO FOX COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN- SYLVANIA TARGET Application filed November 15, 1928. Serial No. 319,473.

The invention relates to targets of the kind intended for use with toy guns, and has for its object an improved target in which provision is made for retaining and collecting the bullets for further use and preferably in such a manner as to be separated into groups in accordance with the accuracy of firing, and so as to record the various hits without the necessity of checking each hit as made.

Further objects and advantages of the invention relative to simplicity and economy of construction will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the target;

Fig. 2 is a central vertical section and Fig. 3 a view of the target opened up.

The target consists of a box-like structure 1 the front face of which constitutes the target proper and is appropriately marked with the conventional rings or otherwise. The target face is of material stiff enough and strong enough to withstand the impact of the bullets without perforation or breaking, so

that it will not be damaged when struck; ordinary cardboard as used for making cardboard boxes is suitable in most cases. The front or target face is cut, preferably as indicated, to provide a number of impact members or fingers 2. By reason of the horizontal positions of these members and their length and the nature of the material they are adapted to yield under the impact of the bullets but are sufficiently resilient not only to absorb the momentum of the bullets and cause the same to fall within the box but also to spring back to their normal position flush with the others, after being struck. The

construction of the target face may be variously organized to produce this effect but the form illustrated is preferred on account of its simplicity.

The center of the target face is open, the

4 fingers 2- being appropriately cut to leave a central and approximately circular opening. Behind the target face and between it and the back of the box is a partition 8 which extends to the bottom of the box and divides it into front and rear compartments 4 and 5 respectively. The partition is apcrtured, as at 6, the aperture being located in line with the central opening in thetarget face and of substantially the same size, so that the bullets which pass through the target face without obstruction by the fingers 2 continue on through the opening in the partition intothe rear compartment 5, where they strike the rear wall '7? of the box and fall to the bottom. The opening 6 being of a size to correspond with the two inner rings of the target, for example, it will be seen that the outers and inners will be separated into two groups, the former striking the fingers 2 and falling in to the front compartment l and the latter passing through into the rear compartment 5. It will be apparent that the opening in the target face may be of any desired size and any number of partitions provided having successively smaller openings, so that with the impact members 2 or other suitable means to prevent the bullets from rebounding, the invention provides for separating and collecting the bullets in accordance with the relation of their line of fire to the target face, and permits of accurate scoring after a number of bullets have been fired.

On the inside of the rear wall of the box and to provide a further register of the accuracy with which the shots are fired, there is suitably mounted a bulls eye gong 8 which in turn is smaller than the opening 6 and which audibly registers bulls-eye hits.

The form of the box and the bullet coinpartments is a matter of choice but as illusmeans for securing the parts when folded,

quite the same as in ordinary packing boxes. The end tabs 10 hook into slots 11 in the back .7. The end of the partition is flanged as at 12 for attachment to the box end wall by staples, glue or paper fasteners as desired.

A tab 13 is left in the back wall by which the target may be suspended. As thus designed the device may be shipped flat to be set up by the user.

In this form of the invention, in which the box is substantially closed, provision is made for removing the bullets by cutting U-shaped slits in the bottom of the end wall, one in front of and one behind the partition 3, the flaps 14- produced by the cuts serving as covers for the openings and permitting the c0mpartments to be emptied one at a time for counting the bullets of each group.

i I claim:

1. A target in which the face thereof comprises a plurality of impact members consisting of coplanar elements mounted for rearward angular movement in a horizontal plane under the impact of the bullets and adapted to return automatically to their normal position.

2. A target in which the face thereof is formed of sheet material cut to form two series of horizontal fingers, the fingers of one series pointing toward the fingers of the other series and the tips of one series being spaced from the tips of the fingers of the other series to form a bulls-eye opening, said fingers being adapted to yield under the impact of the bullets and to return automatically to their normal position.

3. A target comprising a box-like structure having its front face appropriately marked, the said marked face comprising a plurality of coplanar impact members arranged to recede within the box under the impact of the bullets, to stop the latter and permit the same to fall within the box, and to return automatically to their normal position.

4. A target comprising a box like structure having wall members arranged to provide a number of compartments one behind the other, said members being apertured concentrically, the front wall of said structure being provided With a target face having a plurality of yielding impact members surrounding the aperture in the face and arranged to recede within the front compartment under the impact of projectiles.

5. A target comprising a. sheet of material adapted to be folded to form a box, said sheet having an apertured end portion for folding within the boX and forming a partition therein, substantially as described.

6. A target comprising a box-like structure having an imperforate rear wall, a front wall having resilient fingers appropriately marked and arranged to permit substantially all projectiles striking said fingers to pass through said wall into said structure, a partition intermediate said walls extending to the bottom of the structure to provide separate front and rear compartments and having an aperture to permit the passage of certain projectiles into the rear compartment FREDERICK T. RUSSELL. 

